TallGuyJohninBKK

They didn't have to ask me for anything, nor did they kick back anything I provided. So I'm assuming I was right in the groove. I based my list of documents/photocopies above on common sense past experience with BKK CW and having reviewed all the recent posts/reports I could find on people doing their RC applications at BKK CW. I specifically asked about the TM30 form photocopy, figuring you'd be interested in the issue as always, and reported above exactly what the IO lady told me, that YES they do want the TM 30 photocopy. But no, I didn't try to leave it out of my package and then see what they'd do in that instance. PS - in my case, because I have a new passport as of last year, my last entry stamp and reference to my long ago last visa are now combined together on a series of stamps on the two passport pages just after my photo page... So I gave them a copy of that, since my new passport doesn't have separate pages/stamps for those two items. In looking over recent posts on the RC subject, I believe it was you who had been repeatedly advising people, very correctly, that they're very keen on getting a copy of the applicant's most recent 90-day reporting slip, which they were. I had a 90-day reporting deadline coming up in mid-April, and figured it would be better to wait to do my RC app until I had a new/more recent 90-day receipt...although it probably wouldn't have mattered. But I did my 90-day online Monday, and got the receipt in my email last night. When the male officer was shuffling thru my papers, he specifically looked at the 90-day receipt, saw that it had only been issued yesterday, smiles and made a comment on that, and gave me a "thumb's up" sign.... ????

Residence Certificate Trip Report -- BKK CW Immigration Went out to BKK CW Immigration today to apply for a residence certificate for purposes of later applying for a Thai DL. First time I had applied for a RC there in probably more than 5 years. Here's the current lay of the land: Arrived just at the end of the lunch break period at 1 pm. Lined up and got inside to the front queue tickets counter shortly thereafter. Figured I could get a RC queue ticket from any of the officers there, but NO... tried that and instead was told they now have a special queue line and document checking window just for RCs one window from the end at the far right end of the queue tickets counter. They have an A4 printout piece of paper taped to the divider window there saying document check for RCs. So I moved over to that queue line, and shortly thereafter the guy behind the counter looked over my RC application form and supporting documents, gave his approval, and stapled them together and handed them back to me along with my queue ticket for the actual RC counter, which these days is the B section, a little area they have carved out along the wall between the front queue tickets counter and the A section 90-day reporting area in the far corner. Today, there were only 2 or 3 officers handling business there at any given time. I don't know what was going on there, and whether they were also doing some other kind of applications in the B section, but for the first 15 minutes or so I was waiting there, the 2 or 3 working officers (mostly the civilian young woman types as opposed to the uniformed police types) spent the entire time with the same single applicant each. I had no idea what they were doing and why things were taking so long for what ought to be a simple piece of business. I started out about a dozen numbers down in the queue, and they finally got around to calling my queue number about 1:50 pm, or after I had been waiting 45 minutes for 2 or 3 officers to make their way thru a dozen applicants. Sat down with a middle-aged male police officer who had stepped in to relieve one of the original women there. The police guy seemed friendly and cheerful enough, asked me a couple questions to make sure why I needed the RC and for what kind of license. Quickly shuffled thru my paperwork, said OK, and told me "200 baht," which I quickly handed over. He then handed me off to another woman sitting next to him who handling the mailout details and the EMS mailing/tracking receipt that I was given, with the advice I should get the mailed RC in 1 to 2 weeks. All in all, from the time I walked to their counter until I was finished, not much more than 5 minutes total. Which made me really wonder what was going on with the earlier folks in the queue. My documents set, which they accepted without question or comment, consisted of: --my original passport --The completed residence certificate application form 2023 Residence Certificate application (simple).pdf Photocopies of: --the front photo page of my passport --the prior history page of my new passport with the details of my last entry stamp into Thailand and my now ancient last actual visa. --my current extension of stay stamp --my TM6 arrival/departure card --my latest 90-day reporting slip --and my last TM30 residency filing receipt. The lady officer who handled my EMS receipt and final details spoke very good English. So given the amount of discussion here on the topic, I decided to ask her about my inclusion of the TM30 residence receipt, and whether they really needed or wanted a copy of that as part of an RC application. And she clearly replied that, yes, she said they DO want that included as part of one's RC application paperwork. YMMV. Lastly, BKK CW doesn't use an RC application form that has any place for any photos, and they don't request photos as part of the RC process, unlike apparently some other Immigration offices. Also, just to be on the safe side, as always, I had brought with me originals of things like my house rental lease and various utility bills showing my name and address on them. None of that they asked for, though good to have them just in case. So I was out the door by about 2 pm. Until the next time!

It's hard to know what to think when other folks post here their experience, but don't mention what Immigration office they're dealing with. In my case, like you, I filed mine online Monday night to BKK CW, and got my confirmation received back by email on Thursday night... almost exactly three days, 72 hours later.

I did my 90-day report online to BKK CW this past Monday evening without incident. Got the emailed confirmation back around dinner time tonight, so just short of a full 3-day/72 hour turnound time. At least it saves me a half-day trip out to BKK CW.

Bangkok Bank is going to be the best for what you need. Apart from Wise, they have their own in-house relatively inexpensive method of handling US to TH money transfers. They do well in handling U.S. Social Security deposits. Their phone customer service staff tend to be pretty good. And their headquarters branch in BKK also is very versed in handling expat banking issues. They also have a branch located in the BKK CW Immigration building, along with various other TH bank companies, which makes it convenient when you need to do an annual marriage or retirement extension there.

So as best as I can tell from the OP news report, despite supposedly being "charged" in the case, the policeman in question doesn't appear to have been actually arrested or taken into custody. If he had been, then presumably, the article wouldn't have included the following comment: "The policeman concerned will have to report to the station as part of conditions." I must say, the Thai police are being extremely accommodating to a charged rape suspect. It's certainly yet another reason to call into question their judgment and (lack of) professionalism.

The BBC's wording kinda makes it sound like someone threw a gun at the officer.... Not sure why they couldn't have simply said "shot" and/or "killed" or "fatal shooting."

That's just a sad hoax, of course. The current Republican Party instead is more about imposing THEIR social mores and religious beliefs on every one else around them. They today have absolutely nothing to do with personal freedom or small government. But it has been a popular and effective ruse for too long.

Just noticing... the download link for the regular Residence Certificate application form appears to be broken/non-working on the national Immigration documents website (item #24 on the third page of their documents list): https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=3202 Just curious, can anyone explain what the difference is between the regular residence certificate application form that Kidney posted above vs. the TM 18 and TM20 "Application for Substitute of Certificate of Residence forms? Which oddly, unlike the basic form, both have spots for pasting in a photo. ------------------- Though I see BKK Immigration on their own separate website do have a link to a residence certificate application form, item #22 on their list. Microsoft Word doc... No TM number assigned. And no space for a photo on that form. https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/downloads_en/

Ya, I don't believe photos are required as part of Immigration's Certificate of Residence certificate process... Though they are required later when a person actually applies for a DL at the Department of Land Transport.

Just How Do Deaths Due to COVID-19 Stack Up? Despite a likely undercount in many places, COVID is among the leading causes of death in most countries ... "It can be helpful to consider how COVID-19 ranks as a cause of death around the world, and the factors driving those trends. Looking at official statistics alone, COVID-19 was the fifth leading cause of death globally, accounting for nearly one in twenty deaths worldwide since the beginning of 2020. After accounting for unreported deaths, the total toll could be as high as the third leading cause of death, responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths, or one out of every ten deaths." https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/just-how-do-deaths-due-covid-19-stack The above analysis also notes regarding COVID and the United States: more people in the United States died cumulatively of COVID-19 than died of seasonal influenza in the last ten years (2010-2020).

That's correct... And as noted by another poster above, that skywalk entrance-exit to Central Embassy is right where the PAUL bakery-restaurant is located inside. The skywalk between Ploenchit BTS and Central Embassy also includes a connection enroute to the HomePro store located nearby.

Despite the presumably intentionally vague headline written here by the Daily Mail, the UK study they're writing about did NOT find any meaningful increased risk from the mRNA COVID vaccines. Instead, most of the study's findings relating to cardiac risk for young women relate to those who had primarily received the AstraZeneca (non-mRNA) vaccine, which, as the study notes: "The subgroup who received non-mRNA vaccines are more likely to be clinically vulnerable. The ChAdOx1 Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine was withdrawn for people aged under 30 on 7 April 202119, and until 8 June 2021 vaccination in this age group was limited to health care workers and people who were clinically extremely vulnerable. People who were clinically extremely vulnerable may be at greater risk of adverse events following vaccination than the general population." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36494-0 And the Mail article alluded to the same complicating factor, with the following excerpt: "Researchers said young women given non-mRNA jabs in the period studied tended to be classified as clinically vulnerable, hence why they were prioritized for jabs. This factor may have explained their increased risk of death, the team suggested."

Yes, but there has been much research done on the volume of "excess deaths" related to COVID -- those above and beyond what would be normal in any year. And the volume of those excess deaths is at least double the official COVID death count. So your comment above about normal deaths is just a predictable attempted deflection attempting to minimize the true death toll from COVID. 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 "New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). “These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General." "Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years. " https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2022-14.9-million-excess-deaths-were-associated-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-2020-and-2021

Nearly 7 million "official" COVID deaths around the world in the past three-plus years -- and the real number likely double that or more according to experts -- isn't enough for you? That's your version of "mild"? "Globally, as of 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 761,071,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,879,677 deaths, reported to WHO." https://covid19.who.int/

There is research going on in the West as to whether genetic or other factors provided natural immunity to COVID for some people... Doesn't sound like they have figured it out yet. Are some people immune to COVID-19? Association of American Medical Colleges January 19, 2023 ... "Strickland is among hundreds of people in numerous countries who are enrolled in lab studies to determine if genetic anomalies have protected them from contracting the virus or neutralized it before it could make them sick. They include frontline health workers and people who interacted closely with COVID-stricken relatives at home. “There are numerous examples of couples in which one partner got seriously ill, and the spouse was taking care of them yet did not get infected,” says András Spaan, MD, PhD, a clinical microbiologist at the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at The Rockefeller University in New York." https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/are-some-people-immune-covid-19 But, as the article explains, the future road on this is uncertain. Because, for example, researchers back in the mid 1990s found a man who was medically immune to AIDS... And yet here we are 30 years later, and no medical solution to provide population-level immunity to AIDS. "If genetic variations can make people immune or resistant to COVID-19, it remains to be seen how that knowledge can be used to create population-level protection. After all, while the discovery nearly three decades ago that some people have genetic immunity to HIV helped scientists develop post-infection treatments, there is still no vaccine to prevent infection."

Looks like the TH MoPH Institute of Dermatology near Victory Monument is continuing to offer bivalent Pfizer booster COVID vaccine shots on a walk-in basis, 9 am to 3 pm Mon. to Sat., at least thru the end of this month/March. They did a new FB post yesterday providing info about that ongoing vaccination center. Hard to tell from their TH language version whether the end of March (this Friday) is a hard end to the service there, or, whether it will continue until further notice to the contrary. The bivalent Pfizer vaccine is available to Thais and foreigners alike age 12 years and above who received their last prior COVID shot at least 4 months ago, and still free if you're a long-term resident as opposed to a tourist. Foreigners should bring their passport and any documentation of their prior vaccination history. It sounds like they also have available the original Pfizer vaccine version approved for youngsters age 5-11, and the non-mRNA AstraZeneca vaccine for adults. https://www.facebook.com/CentralVaccinationCenter/posts/pfbid02DYu9H52eufvfnL5VpHnCxKbhsT2BrBbk9s9RGDWT7mKjTJMMaFCdGt75NWLakzZNl "By extended open for service MONDAY - SATURDAY ( SUNDAY OFF) The whole month of March TIME 9 AM - 3 PM Until further notice the change At floor 12A, Dermatology institute building Victory Monument. The number 456 Rd. Rajawithi, Thung Phayathai province, Ratchathewi district, Bangkok." Google Maps link

I've never used them before, so let me ask, what kind of services did they perform for you? Just looking at their website, they seem like more of a logistics/package delivery company as opposed to a household goods moving company??? I'm sure they will transport boxes and cargo.... But not sure if they'll carry and transport unpacked things like household refrigerators, washing machines, furniture, etc etc

Indeed, when I read the headline, I was envisioning an entirely different kind of tournament than actually ends up being the case. But it would be a great thing to see... finding out who can shoot the ping pong balls the farthest in a certain way.... ???? Thailand certainly needs another local sport, even an Olympic sport, dare I say, where its homegrown women athletes can excel!

The problem is... they WOULD if they could... They didn't have control of the House before. Now they do.... and clearly they're aiming for more. The American people need to be clear in understanding, this is the kind of "despotry" they should expect when these kinds of clowns are elected.

What supporting photocopies or other materials did BKK want besides the form? And, were they charging any fee, or it was a freebie?

Only right-wing Fox News seems to think the notion of "assisted suicide" for the terminally ill is controversial. If a terminally ill person still has their wits about them and is capable of making an informed decision, they certainly should have the right to make it as regards their own life and body. Perhaps it goes against the grain for some doctors' well-engrained professional notion of "doing no harm." But in my book, leaving a terminally ill person against their will with no resort but to suffer in pain and/or unable to control their own body and its functions is doing far more harm than letting them escape from than pain and anguish. Should be legal in all 50 states.

Interesting other thread currently running here regarding the variations in TM-30 policy based on different Immigration offices.... Read and enjoy! ????

I haven't seen any news report on this.... but the question arises... did the head of Thai Immigration get booted and replaced with a now "acting" new flunkie?.... Because, a week ago, this guy below, Sajjaphan, supposedly was the current head of Immigration: And then almost a week later in this current thread's report, we have: "Siam Rath reported an order from acting immigration chief Pol Maj-Gen Phanumas Bunyalak..." The only prior mention I can find on AseanNow of this Bunyalak guy is from a tech police related article from two years ago.... Did the almost daily toll of Immigration scandals and bad news finally take its toll on Immigration's leadership? And yet another transfer to place or places unknown?

Some people should just stay home...and away from Thailand. Plus, looks like this guy had trouble written all over him -- literally....